Bhim Charan Rana v. State Of West Bengal And ORS.

03-09-2025 Item No.21 Subrata Bhattacharyya IN THE HIGH COURT AT CALCUTTA Constitutional Writ Jurisdiction Appellate Side AR(C) WPA No.7150 of 2025 Bhim Charan Rana -vsThe State of West Bengal & Ors.

Mr. Uttam Kumar Bhattacharya Mr. Ardhendu Nag Mr. Anupam Kumar Dey Mr. Dibakar Das Mr. Sukha Chand Mitra Mr. Soham Banerjee ...for the petitioner Mr. Sudip Sarkar Mr. Debasis Dey ...for the State Mr. Sukumar Bhattacharyya, sr. adv.

Ms. Ranjana Chatterjee ...for the Union of India 1.

Perused the report forwarded by ADG & IG of Correctional Services, West Bengal dated August 29, 2025 wherein it has been mentioned that despite thorough searches of the jail records, no register containing the details of the inmates for the period of December 12, 1942 to July 9, 1943 could be found in the records room of the correctional home. The Superintendent of Tamluk Sub Correctional Home could not provide any information pertaining to the lodging of the petitioner in the prison during the freedom movement.

2.

It appears that the prayer of the petitioner for grant of freedom fighters' pension was considered by the Central Government and vide order dated December 29, 2014 the petitioner's prayer stood

rejected on ground of non-availability of official records in support of the petitioner's suffering. 3.

Swatantrata Sainik Samman pension is granted to the freedom fighters who are eligible to receive the same in terms of the scheme. It appears that the petitioner does not meet the eligibility criteria for grant of such pension. The Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India considered the prayer of the petitioner and rejected the same on merits by passing a reasoned order nearly eleven years back. The same issue cannot be reopened in the instant writ petition.

4.

The writ petition fails and is hereby dismissed. 5.

All parties are to act on the server copy of this order duly downloaded from the official website of this Court.

6.

Certified copy of this order, if applied for, shall be made available to the parties.

[Amrita Sinha, J]